The video below is about the 青藏铁路 (Qingzang railway) connecting Tibet Autonomous Region's Lhasa and Qinghai Province's Xining. Much of the 2000km railway is an engineering marvel. One, for it's 5000 meter elevation and rough terrain and another for where the tracks have to work on top of permafrosts (where the ice could melt depending on the time of the year). It opened in … [Read more...] about Tibet’s “天路” (“Heaven Road”)
Archives for April 2011
Dalai Lama at UCLA
I spent over nine-years at UCLA and am (no surprise here) an avid alum supporter of the institution. Recently, I got wind that the Dalai Lama will be at UCLA next week. A big part of the visit will be Dalai Lama's participating in the symposium "Buddhism and Neuroscience: A Discussion on Attention, Mental Flexibility and Compassion," with faculty and staff from UCLA's Semel … [Read more...] about Dalai Lama at UCLA
Ai Weiwei: fighting for justice or freedom of speech?
Negotiating the way through Ai Weiwei-land and the barrage of mainstream media (msm) and Web opinions, Joni Mitchell’s song, "Both Sides Now," on classic radio comes to mind: Old friends are acting strange they shake their heads say I’ve changed something’s lost, something’s gained. Equanimity is a cop-out in this debate that pivots on black and white stereotypes of … [Read more...] about Ai Weiwei: fighting for justice or freedom of speech?
Posner, purveyor of ‘human rights,’ needs to remember he is not the customer
I was just reading this New York Times article, "Bleak Outlook for U.S.-China Talks on Human Rights," and the reporter whines about lack of progress. Why can't it keep it short, like the way this China Daily article does it? Honestly I don't have anything constructive to say about the NYT version. Posner surely must know China is the customer in this case. If Posner could … [Read more...] about Posner, purveyor of ‘human rights,’ needs to remember he is not the customer
Tsinghua University Professor Yan Xuetong: “How Assertive Should a Great Power Be?”
Yan Xuetong is professor of political science and dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He is the author of “Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power.” His new book became available on April 3, 2011 and can be ordered through places like Amazon. Below is an Op-Ed he authored for the New York Times, titled, "How … [Read more...] about Tsinghua University Professor Yan Xuetong: “How Assertive Should a Great Power Be?”